Hats are commonly used to cover a portion of a head, which typically includes a crown of the head. Hats may provide protective functionality, and due to their prominent position, may also serve as aesthetic attire that complements an overall appearance of a wearer. Moreover, hats may serve to communicate information, such as status (e.g., social, military, professional, etc.) or affiliation (e.g., religious, political, corporate, sports, etc.). As such, the usefulness of a hat may be influenced by its ability to be seen or noticed.
The noticeability of a hat typically depends on lighting conditions within its ambient environment, which affects the hat's visibility to an observer. Such dependency requires that light directly illuminate one or more surfaces of the hat. A hat entering an ambient environment of little or no illumination may thus be unnoticed by an observer, resulting in a loss of usefulness to the wearer. Such loss may include an inability of the observer to discern decorative patterns, ornamental features, textures, text, logos, and so forth, of the hat. Such loss may also involve an inability of the observer to locate the wearer, which may be relevant in situations where safety is of concern. Hats having improved noticeability are therefore desirable, especially in dim or dark environments.